ArchitectureAmsterdam · Now open
Amsterdam's Gashouder reopens as a permanent music and arts venue
Westerpark's 1881 gasholder, once a techno landmark, gains a concrete underground extension by Inside Outside and a year-round programme.
In the 1990s the 19th-century gasholder in Amsterdam's Westerpark was known as a 'temple to techno'. After years of one-off events, Gashouder has now opened as a permanent venue for live and electronic music, performance and art, holding 3,500 people. Co-owner Lennart Rottier says the programme fills a gap for mid-career artists, keeps an edge from its rave days and still finds room for the National Ballet and Royal Orchestra.
The new part is underground. Through the old red-brick arches, visitors walk down into a concrete space by Inside Outside, the studio Petra Blaisse founded, which follows the outline of the hall above. Radial strips of light echo the old steel frame and lead to a glowing lamp inspired by the gasholder's flame. Curved aluminium and polycarbonate walls slide into five layouts around the bar, backstage and merch kiosk. A staircase then climbs to the restored hall, 14.5m high, where new acoustic panels carry a grainy photograph of the brick walls they cover.
Gashouder is at Klönneplein 1, inside Cultuurpark Westergas, among red-brick buildings full of bars, restaurants, clubs and galleries. Most visitors arrive by bike, so do the same and check the listings before you go.
Our summary of a story from Wallpaper*, published 4 November 2026. Read the original
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From Wallpaper*